Thursday, January 30, 2014

Keeping in Touch

It is always fun to get a handwritten note or letter in the mail. You reach into the mailbox and on top of the weekly sale fliers, and a bill or two is a note card with you name written in neat script and not the typed "Occupant" or "Our neighbor". A letter to read, to put in a book and remind you of that friend. I enjoy getting those notes.

I also enjoy writing those notes and sending them to someone. I enjoy being the one who brightens someone's day as they open the mailbox.

One thing that has helped me keep in touch is a pouch. One of the fun places to go in Hong Kong was the stationary stores. There were little stationary stores at the MRT (subway) stations, they were in the back alleys and along the major roads. You were never far from a stationary store. Inside the store you could find all kinds of things -- pencils, pens, little pads of paper, plastic folders, markers, toys, stickers, and lots of other things. I could easily wander in and come out with a few fun things. Staples and Office Depot are boring compared to the stationary stores in Hong Kong. One of the things that I would sometimes buy was zippered pouches. There were so many uses for these that you might need to have two or three on hand just in case you found a use. Now I am homesick and missing Hong Kong and wanting to go shop in the stationary store.

Back to my "Keep in Touch" pouch. This particular pouch that I use has two zippered sections. The one in the front is small and works great for a pen, pad of paper which at times has a list of people I am thinking of and want to write to and stamps.

There is a main section that also has a zipper. This is large enough for post cards and note cards. I can fit about 10 or more note cards in here. That will give me lots of notes to write. One of the advantages of having them in the zippered section is they don't get all bent up. The note cards don't start out wrinkled and creased or worn around the edges.

Having everything in the zippered pouch makes it easy to take with me. I can toss it into a bag as I head out for flute lesson and while I am waiting I can write a note or two.

At times I have made note cards using my stamps and other craft paper but recently I found a pack of note cards at Goodwill. I have also gotten some nice Hallmark note cards at Big Lots for $1.00. At those prices I can't make the note cards.

I have seen blogs and pins on pinterest about fun things that people mail even without an envelope but I have not yet gotten brave enough to mail those things. At the post office last week I saw someone mailing a tire though I don't think that would be called fun.

Have you ever mailed something fun without an envelope? What tips to you have for keeping in touch?